Chapter 007: Unexpected Joy

Upon hearing these words, Bian Rui's father finally set down the cage in his hands, stood up, and went to the water tank beside the courtyard to scoop a ladle of water in preparation for washing his hands

Hearing Bian Rui ask this, Fourth Uncle proudly boasted about his harvest from this morning

Who is inside

Upon looking at Shou Wushuang again, Bian Rui noticed that the ginseng had already slightly changed color, turning into a deep yellow hue, somewhat resembling a carrot

Bian Rui called out twice from behind, but Si Bo did not turn his head even once

Upon arriving home, the two children were playing with their great-grandmother, while Bian Rui's father was under the eaves, smoking and weaving something. A glance was enough for Bian Rui to know that his father was making a bug cage, and there was no need to ask as it was intended for his granddaughter and grandson.

"Longevity is unparalleled!" Bian Rui exclaimed in surprise

"Go on, save the things for tomorrow for you, kid," said Fourth Uncle, already turning away to the shadow wall.

Bian Rui's patience is commendable; he has unearthed several complete ones in succession. When he reached the last one, just as he had removed a bit of soil, he suddenly felt that something was amiss

However, by a stroke of fate, when two ginseng plants grow together and neither can overpower the other, they form a dual ginseng. According to the legends of my hometown, when dual ginseng first emerges, it is entirely blood-red; after one hundred years, it turns golden; and after one thousand years, it becomes black gold. It is said that consuming it can lead to ascension and immortality.

Although many people work in other places and have settled their families there, in recent years, an increasing number of individuals have chosen to send their children back to receive early childhood and primary education, rather than leaving them to study locally, typically waiting to bring them back for middle school. This is primarily due to their preference for the education provided by Bianjia Village Primary School

In the hands of the fourth uncle is a thing resembling a small carrot, with a slender stem topped with a few leaves and some red fruits on its head

"How do you want to organize the house?" asked Bian Rui's father while washing his hands.

Uncle Si is not young, and with the *illustrated* books, he is in his sixties this year. However, his voice is like a bell, and his steps are like a shooting star; one would not guess he is over sixty. Most of his hair is still black, with very little white.

Bian Rui made a sound of acknowledgment

Bian Rui originally intended to arrange for his daughter to come back to their hometown for school, and then return to Mingzhu for middle school. However, the divorce disrupted the entire plan. Even if Bian Rui wanted to, Wang Jie would not agree, as the child was ultimately awarded to her.

Upon seeing the ginseng, Bian Rui recalled something and decided to invite the elderly couple from the neighborhood to dinner when he returned to Mingzhu, to express his gratitude for their support of his shop. Now that there happened to be ginseng available from Shanbo, at least one dish was secured.

Bian Rui glanced at his fourth uncle, who was carrying a bamboo basket on his back, and immediately understood that he was going up the mountain to gather something. He then asked, "Are you going up the mountain to pick mushrooms?"

Si Bo picked a ginseng plant from the mountain, and I am planning to invite someone to dinner at Mingzhu the day after tomorrow..." said Bian Rui

In the mountains of Bianrui's hometown, ginseng is also produced, although it is not as famous as that from Changbai Mountain and other renowned areas. The efficacy of this ginseng is not as good as that of wild ginseng from Northeast China, and it generally grows within ten meters of the banks of ponds and streams. Typically, the locals dig it up to use for stewing chicken, without adding any other ingredients. They simply take a whole ginseng plant, including the roots and leaves, and place it in a clay pot, adding a little salt and water, to stew a free-range hen that is over four years old. It is simmered slowly for ten hours, resulting in a flavor that is unforgettable once tasted. Generally, the locals dig it up to use for stewing chicken, without adding any other ingredients. They simply take a whole ginseng plant, including the roots and leaves, and place it in a clay pot, adding a little salt and water, to stew a free-range hen that is over four years old. It is simmered slowly for ten hours, resulting in a flavor that is unforgettable once tasted

Indeed, Tan Shen! This item is quite hard to find nowadays. Today is my lucky day; although this specimen is a bit small, I can still sell it for at least two hundred yuan in town

The main young workforce is now working in other regions, with most of them, like Bian Rui in the past, employed away from home. The majority have remained in those areas for development after graduating from university. Currently, there are very few people from Bianjia Village who are truly putting in hard work outside.

As soon as the water was poured, it was as if by magic, several ginseng seedlings instantly emerged from the ground, quickly sprouting five or six leaves, with bright red ginseng seeds resembling gemstones forming on top of their heads. The ginseng grown in this space was clearly of several grades superior to the ones that had just been brought in.

Bian Rui found a root stick in the space and flattened it to begin digging for ginseng

Although simple, Bian Rui enjoyed the meal immensely, feeling that this table of food was more to his liking than delicacies from the mountains and the sea, filled with the taste of home

Bian Rui had never seen this thing; not to mention Bian Rui, even the ancestor had said that he had only seen it once.

Bian Rui was lost in a whirlwind of thoughts when suddenly a voice came from the gate of the courtyard

Holding the ginseng, he returned to the room. Bian Rui entered the space, first removing the ginseng seeds. Following the method taught by the ancestor the previous day, he buried the seeds in the Qian position, and then poured well water over the ginseng seeds

Bian Rui immediately said: "Fourth Uncle, I am not eating it myself, but rather selling it for money. If it were for my own consumption, I might not even give you any money. Haven't I stolen peaches from your house when I was a child? In any case, I am not worried about the debts piling up. But now that I am making money, it is inappropriate for you not to take any. Moreover, this is not our first or second time; in the future, on Fridays, I am counting on you to help me find some good things in the mountains..."

Da Rui is back! I thought someone was inside. Usually, there aren't many people here, so when I saw the door open, I just came over to take a look, said Uncle Si

The two of them had washed their hands, and Bian Rui's mother and sister had already set the table with rice and side dishes. Bian Rui's grandmother was the first to take a seat, followed by Bian Rui's parents. Finally, Bian Rui and his sister, along with her husband, took their seats beside the table with the children.

"Well, the two of us will work together then," said Bian Rui's father

Mom, I understand, I will come right away" With that, Bian Rui took the ginseng and walked towards the door

"What do you want to sell? If you want it, take it," said Si Bo as he approached Bian Rui and stuffed the ginseng into Bian Rui's arms.

Breakfast was quite simple; I reheated some leftover dishes from last night and cooked a pot of plain rice porridge, accompanied by some pickled vegetables. In addition to these, there was a pancake with an egg for each person

Bian Rui's father immediately said: "It would be great if there were a meeting!"

Tan Shen

The current population of Bianjia Village is predominantly composed of middle-aged and elderly individuals, with the remaining majority being young children around the age of ten, along with a few young people seeking livelihoods in the town or county.

At this time, it is indeed the proper breakfast hour, with wisps of smoke rising from kitchens throughout the village, and occasionally one can hear adults calling for children to come home for a meal

Bian Rui could only say: "Fourth Uncle, if you go into the mountains tomorrow, please bring me some things. I will take care of mountain mushrooms, spring bamboo shoots, and so on. The day after tomorrow, I have a banquet at Mingzhu."

The marinated meat was ready, and I heard my mother's voice at the door

"Fourth Uncle, why don't you sell me this ginseng?"

Fourth Uncle! It is I

Mushroom picking may sound simple, but in reality, it is a laborious task. One must enter the mountains before dawn and return by around 7 or 8 o'clock to sell the fresh harvest in town. Most of those who gather a large quantity are elderly individuals, as they have been foraging in the mountains for a long time and have a good sense of where mushrooms are likely to be found. Although young people possess ample physical strength, their lack of experience often results in a lower yield compared to the elderly.

Next time, let's talk about it again. Fourth Uncle, can I not afford to give you a single broken ginseng!

The old man is also stubborn; after speaking, he picked up the basket and turned to walk towards the door

"Wash your hands before eating, and after finishing your meal, continue with your work," said Bian Rui's mother to her husband.

Uncle Si replied with a smile, "Yes, the harvest this morning was quite good. We picked two jin of sheep-turn mushrooms, which the restaurants in town buy for thirty yuan per jin. There are also some straw mushrooms; they are not too expensive, but we have a large quantity. Additionally, we dug up some spring bamboo shoots, which are also of good quality..."

The ginseng has a particular characteristic; it is extremely exclusive. This means that once a ginseng plant grows, there will not be a second plant within a radius of half a mile. Even if a second plant does emerge, it will surely die within half a month.

Bian Rui's father washed his hands, took the ladle from his son's hand, scooped some water, and prepared to wash Bian Rui's hands. Upon seeing this, Bian Rui immediately bent down and quickly washed his hands.

It is also quite simple; if it were so easy to cultivate, the ancestor would not have only seen it once.

At the entrance, Benrui's mother saw her son holding something in his hand, so she opened her mouth and asked: "What is that wrapped up?"

Bian Rui did not expect that by casually scattering seeds, he would cultivate such a thing. Seemingly pleased with how easy it was to grow, Bian Rui continued to plant ginseng with a beaming smile. Of course, this particular Shou Wushuang could not be dug up; Bian Rui intended to leave it be and let it grow.

I took out a ginseng plant and directly discarded the remaining ginseng in the space. A few ginseng plants are treasures, but a whole basket is no longer valued.

"There will also be a meeting, which will be postponed until after breakfast."

Bian Rui responded with a sound, turned around to lock the door, and then walked home with his mother. The large yellow dog that had been lying at the door ran quickly this time, arriving home ahead of the mother and son.

Of course, this is a legend. Bian Rui heard from the ancestor that this thing can indeed prolong life. As long as a person has breath and holds onto the longevity without equal, changing one piece every day can keep them alive for several months. It is somewhat similar to the current state of a vegetative person.

I understand, isn't this just a coincidence?" said Bian Rui

Having left the space, I took a corner of rice paper, dipped it in a little water, and wrapped the water along with the roots and leaves. I plan to take it back to Mingzhu tomorrow afternoon. As for the old hen, it will be fed by my mother at Bianrui's home, and when the time comes, we can just catch it from the chicken coop.

Bian Rui's shop primarily features ingredients from the mountains. Of course, now that there is space, Bian Rui can also grow some himself. However, to keep people guessing, he still needs to purchase items; he cannot simply do nothing. It would be too conspicuous to drag a bunch of mountain goods to Mingzhu every Friday night.

The color of normal ginseng is typically yellow, varying from light to dark shades, yet it remains within the yellow spectrum. However, this particular ginseng is deep red, as red as blood.

"Dai Rui, it's time to eat!"

Bian Rui said, "It seems that we need to take significant action. I will prepare on my end first, after all, we have plenty of time, so we can take it slow."

Bian Rui's mother said again, "It's time to go back for dinner, everyone is waiting for you"

Bian Rui blurted out

As soon as Bian Rui heard this, he immediately came out of the room and walked towards the door. After taking a few steps, he saw the figure of an old man turning around the shadow wall.

Bian Rui's mother thought for a moment and said, "Then I will have the girl send two bottles of wine to your fourth uncle later. You should keep this in mind when your grandfather goes into the mountains to tend the sheep. Don't ask your uncles for it; they all take it to exchange for money. Who would have the nerve to ask a junior for money..."

I wanted to give him money, but Fourth Uncle was unwilling to accept it..." Bian Rui explained helplessly.

After speaking, Fourth Uncle took down the back basket and pulled out an item from it, showing it off to Bian Rui: "Da Rui, see what Fourth Uncle has dug up today?"

Bian Rui's mother frowned slightly upon hearing this and said, "Why do you casually ask your fourth uncle for things? Your fourth uncle's belongings are meant to be sold for money"

With great enthusiasm, he began planting and ended up with half a basket of ginseng. In the end, Bian Rui finally gave up, realizing that even with space, growing unparalleled longevity depends on luck. It seems that after experiencing a stroke of bad luck, Bian Rui has exhausted his fortune in growing ginseng.

Bian Rui immediately stepped forward, picked up the ladle from the jar, and poured water over his father's hands